After crafting two intense thrillers in the form of You’re Next and The Guest, director Adam Wingard is shifting gears to adapt Tsugumi Ohba’s popular manga series Death Note.
Almost a year has lapsed since Wingard first took the reins of the long-gestating feature film, and aside from the casting of Nat Wolff (The Fault In Our Stars, Paper Towns), truth be told, there’s been little in the way of progress.
And while it doesn’t necessarily count as a step toward production, Collider spoke to Death Note producer Roy Lee during last week’s DICE awards who revealed that Wingard “is currently waiting for us to officially greenlight the movie, but we have a cast in place. I think it’s been reported but I don’t remember yet, I’d have to check the site, so I don’t want to say anything yet. But it’s a movie we’re planning on making this year.”
Perhaps what’s more exciting, though, is what Lee had to share about the adaptation’s rating, which seems to be all but confirmed to boast an R rating:
“It’s definitely for adults. It is zero chance it will be below an R rating.”
Gunning for a grounded approach layered with fantastical elements, Death Note is a perfect fit for Adam Wingard following in the wake of You’re Next and The Guest. Granted, the director will be dealing with the supernatural, but Wingard has displayed an astute style that will make for an interesting combination with such a beloved Japanese property.
Lee closed out by adding that he hopes production can get underway later in 2016, so stay tuned for more updates.
